Communication

I haven't wrote on this blog in a while but the key to finding love and understanding it is communication. One must be willing to not only talk but to listen. Most of the problems in any relationship evolves around communication and who is or isn't listening. Thus ask yourself, are you a good listener. If you feel that you do most of the talking in any relationship regardless if it is one with your family, a significant other or a friend, it is critical that you change that habit. Communication is a two way street so don't allow your selfness of wanting to be heard get in the way of you allowing the other person to be heard too. What they have to say may just be as important if not more important than what you think you have to say. That's my food for thought as I continue to figure out this love thing.

Psalm 139--God knew me & continues to know me

Last week, as I was reading my daily bread both on my phone and in my book, something truly incredible happened. For the first time in 4 months since doing this, my daily bread scripture was the same on my phone and in my book. Psalm 139, which is one of my favorite scriptures was my daily bread and I quickly thought to myself, was this a coincidence or was this God trying to speak to me. Shortly after reading it, I quickly begin to believe that perhaps this was God's way of speaking to me to spread this message to those who might need some uplift.

Thus I sent Psalm 139:1-14 out in text messages to the just about everyone in my contact book on my phone because it is to a degree the heart of the entire Psalm. I felt God wanted me to send people that scripture to encourage them like it had encouraged me and the response to the text message was truly magnificent. So many of my contacts called or texted praising me for sending them that scripture as if many of them were in need of a blessing or a word from God. Still that scripture needs to be further examined so that we all understand and rejoice with happiness for just how "Great God" is.

When I read the scripture, I realized immediately how powerful God is when he created mankind to live on Earth. Think about it, in verse 1, it states that God searched us and knows us. Now God searches us to make sure he knows every ounce of character we have and every fear we may have so that he will help us to get rid of it because God knows just what's needed to make us fearless.

Then as we read more God knows every movement we make from when we sit to when we rise as well as when we walk, talk and even what we think before we have even thought it. God's power extends well into the future and thus scripture puts it on full display. This scripture shows us that God knows everything before it is done and even before we have thought to do it.

God knows us more so than we know ourselves. God knows our words before we speak them, he knows what we will say, how we will say it and how it will be perceived because God knows us. Where can we go when we know that God knows where we will be? God is everywhere we go no matter if it is in the air, sea or land, God is there. God is there waiting on us and willing to show us just who created this Earth as well as the universe.

Psalm 139 embodies the whole spirit of our faith as believers because it shows that God will guide us no matter where we go. God's right hand will hold us when we need it and protect us from the darkness. And even if we decide to disobey God and go into the darkness anyway, God will shine light in the dark. Only God can make darkness in the day and light in the night because it is the Lord who created all of this. So for us to think we can hide from the presence of the Lord is futile.

Its like the scripture says, God created our inmost being, meaning everything from the blood that runs through us to the heart that beats steadily to the muscles and every other organ as well as body part in us, God created. It was the Lord that put us together while we were in our mother's wombs creating us fearfully and wonderfully in his image. We should praise the Lord always for creating us in such a glorious image. No matter if we are tall, short, skinny or thick, we should thank God. No matter if our ears are big, our nose is funny looking to some, we should be thankful. No matter if one of our toes is smaller than our pinky toe, we should be grateful because the Lord created us more special than others.

God's works are wonderful so we should not beat ourselves up cause we have acne,  no booty, no muscles, our abs aren't flat and we got moles in places that we don't like them. We were created just how God wanted us to be created so we should be thankful for that. We should know that God created us perfectly and we should be blessed that God didn't hold anything back when he crafted us from the depths of Earth. We must know that God knows our history because it was written in his book in Heaven so every move we make God knows. God knew when we would be born and he knows when he will ultimately call us back to him.

Thus God didn't create us to be perfect but to be perfectly imperfect in terms of no one man, woman or child looks alike or acts like thus there's no perfect man or woman walking this Earth. There's no perfect human being in terms of looks because we all are perfect cause the Lord created us. God spared nothing when he created all of us thus we should not take our existence on Earth for granted.

We should count our blessings for being here because God created us knowing that we are his children and no weapon formed against us shall prosper.  We must recognize that God is with us and that God will slay the wicked who aim to destroy his kingdom by getting to his children. God will not allow evil to go unchecked because nothing is more powerful than the good of the Lord.

Our Lord is merciful and will not allow those who speak of him with evil to go unchecked. It might not be when we want our Lord to check them but trust that God knows when those who misuse his name will be handled. God doesn't want us to hate them but to treat them with kindness because those who rebel against him will be properly handled. God will also make sure that you know they are not your friend and the Lord will search your heart to ensure that you don't fall prey to those who mean nothing but evil against you.

Therefore God will make sure that if there is any offensive in you, it will not remain long because the Lord is your shepherd and the Lord's staff & rod will protect you so that no harm against you shall prosper. The Lord will keep us forever in his everlasting presence but we just have to keep our faith and believe in God always.

Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
 1 You have searched me, LORD,
   and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain.
 7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.
 13 For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you.
 19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
   Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
   your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
   and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
   I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting. 

When God Speaks?

The last 3 years of my life since graduating from Tennessee State University have had its share of ups and downs. However through it all, I realized more and more about myself. I've realized that sometimes in life you have to walk away from things you love cause you found something else you love. I've learned that no matter how much you care for someone that doesn't mean they care for you the same. In fact the most important thing I've learned is love.



It might sound strange but I finally know what love is and what love ain't. Look I've read 1 Corinthians 13 and each time I read it, I thought I knew what love was but it wasn't until the last 3 years that it all applied to me.

    1 Corinthians 13
    Love Is the Greatest
     1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;[a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
     4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
     8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.
     11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.[c] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
     13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

As you can see love is not fairy tale, it isn't perfect but it is rather imperfectly perfect. God's love for us is what love is. Love is forgiving and forgetting but most of all love never gives up, never loses faith and is always faithful which is why it endures every circumstance and every situation. Love does last forever because God lasts forever. Thus, love is about having full understanding of one's life and the lives of others meaning while you might not agree with the direction others are taking in life, it is not up to you to judge their will. Love is a powerful force that does not lie, nor does it take for granted the little things in life. Love is enduring and it is God's way for us.



Thus as I look at the last 3 years of my life, I went from being in a relationship for 2 years that I thought I found the love of my life but God showed me that our love was not for each other because we were unequally yoked. Then I went to an even farther more equally yoked person who only helped me to get over the girl I was with for 2 years. Now after going to Basic Training and AIT Training, I have now met a God fearing woman who loves me dearly. A God fearing woman who is quick to remind me of my faith as well as why I do what I do which is for God.



Thus while some might say, how is that love, well when God speaks and puts someone in your life who completes you, who has the same horoscope sign as you, who has the same blood type as you, who is of the same faith as you, who's strengths are your weaknesses and your strengths are there weaknesses. All the while, your mom instantly loves her based off one conversation and her mom loves you based off one conversation than it is clear that it is love indeed. Love is not blind, nor is it rushed but it is timed perfectly by the heavens above.



God's love for me has been a work in progress. Thus this love to the woman I will spend the rest of my life with has been a work in progress for 26 years and 8 months. So as I prepare to deploy in December, my love for this woman will only grow so the time is now to commit my all and give my all to the love of my life, the woman I plan to be with forever and ever. God knows love and puts love in your heart instantly, it is not a game nor anything to play with and clearly I love her and she loves me which is why God spoke to me to propose when I did.

I'm Not Going Back

This was a powerful piece I read today in a group I am apart of on Facebook & it goes with the word I heard yesterday in church about not going back. So I am not going back to my old way of life no matter what.

Look! The Lord will destroy the earth and leave it empty; He will ruin the surface of the land and scatter it's people. At that time the same thing will happen to everyone: to common people and priests, to slave masters, to women slaves and their women masters, to buyers and sellers, to those who borrow and those who lend, to bankers and those who owe the bank. The earth will be completely empty. The wealth will all be taken, because The Lord has commanded it. The earth will dry up and die; the world will grow weak and die; the great leaders in this land will become weak. The people of the earth have ruined it, because they do not follow God's teachings or obey God's laws or keep their agreement with God that was to last forever. So a curse will destroy the earth. The people of the world are guilty, so they will be burned up; ONLY A FEW WILL BE LEFT. Isaiah 24:1-23 Amen

Brothers and sisters we must obey God's rules, teachings, laws, and commands. Before we were born into this world God had already known what our lives would be like. Our lives were to immitate Christ. Some of us have chosen paths that God never designed for us to travel. We have left what God wants and have focused and what we want. This is called sin. Sin is a disease that dislocates us from God. It makes us blind to God's truth and has us stumbling as if we are drunk. God is waiting for us to change our wicked ways. I challenge you to send this message to EVERYONE in your email contacts list. We must hold one another accountable. As iron sharpen iron, man sharpens man. We must stop allowing our flesh to rule our bodies. We are the head and not the tail. God is going to punish this world because of sin. We must talk to people who are lost in sin. We were all lost at some point. There is a difference to being completely lost vs being saved and lost. We as Christians are held accountable for what we do. I encourage you to help me spread the Word of God, because the day will come when God will return and then it will be too late. I love everyone of you brothers and sisters in Christ. Let's make a difference in someone's life today. No more time for waiting on people, let's go and help them from sin. Amen      

Moving

It's funny when you move, you seem to miss people who you never thought you would miss. I know that is what I am experiencing right now as I prepare to move. Moving humbles one's soul because I am experiencing something inside of me that makes me feel good about me moving. Thank God for all that I have and the opportunity to find a new place.

A Virtuous Woman

I just read my daily breadd for today and it spoke about a virtuous woman but it also said it could apply to a man as well who is trying to virtuous with God. However it made me think about her and how much I miss  her. Its crazy but too many things are happening that makes me miss her dearly and when I think I can move past her, I have a hard time because I want her. Still she exhibits many of these qualities and I am just glad I was able to meet her because I care for her daily and from briefly chatting with her, I know she is doing well as she is making the necessary changes to be a better person than she was while we dated and I am making just as many changes to be better. Thank God for that.

Proverbs 31:10-20 (New International Version)

 ^10 [a] A wife of noble character who can find?
       She is worth far more than rubies.
 ¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
       and lacks nothing of value.
 ¹² She brings him good, not harm,
       all the days of her life.
 ¹³ She selects wool and flax
       and works with eager hands.
 ¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
       bringing her food from afar.
 ¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
       she provides food for her family
       and portions for her servant girls.
 ¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
       out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
 ¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
       her arms are strong for her tasks.
 ¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
       and her lamp does not go out at night.
 ¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
       and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
 ²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
       and extends her hands to the needy.

10 Virtues of the Proverbs 31 Woman

We want to encourage women to serve God in every aspect of their lives.

1. Faith - A Virtuous Woman serves God with all of her heart, mind, and soul. She seeks His will for her life and follows His ways. (Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 31: 29 – 31, Matthew 22: 37, John 14: 15, Psalm 119: 15

2. Marriage – A Virtuous Woman respects her husband. She does him good all the days of her life. She is trustworthy and a helpmeet. (Proverbs 31: 11- 12, Proverbs 31: 23, Proverbs 31: 28, 1 Peter 3, Ephesians 5, Genesis2: 18)

3.  Mothering - A Virtuous Woman teaches her children the ways of her Father in heaven. She nurtures her children with the love of Christ, disciplines them with care and wisdom, and trains them in the way they should go. (Proverbs 31: 28, Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 22: 6, Deuteronomy 6, Luke 18: 16)

4. Health – A Virtuous Woman cares for her body. She prepares healthy food for her family. (Proverbs 31: 14 – 15, Proverbs 31: 17, 1 Corinthians 6: 19, Genesis 1: 29, Daniel 1, Leviticus 11)

5. Service - A Virtuous Woman serves her husband, her family, her friends, and her neighbors with a gentle and loving spirit. She is charitable. (Proverbs 31: 12, Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20, 1 Corinthians 13: 13)

6. Finances - A Virtuous Woman seeks her husband’s approval before making purchases and spends money wisely. She is careful to purchase quality items which her family needs. (Proverbs 31: 14, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 18, 1 Timothy 6: 10, Ephesians 5: 23, Deuteronomy 14: 22, Numbers 18: 26)

7.  Industry – A Virtuous Woman works willingly with her hands. She sings praises to God and does not grumble while completing her tasks. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 24, Proverbs 31: 31, Philippians 2: 14)

8. Homemaking – A Virtuous Woman is a homemaker. She creates an inviting atmosphere of warmth and love for her family and guests. She uses hospitality to minister to those around her. (Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20 – 22, Proverbs 31: 27, Titus 2: 5, 1 Peter 4: 9, Hebrews 13: 2)

9. Time - A Virtuous Woman uses her time wisely. She works diligently to complete her daily tasks. She does not spend time dwelling on those things that do not please the Lord. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 19, Proverbs 31: 27, Ecclesiastes 3, Proverbs 16: 9, Philippians 4:8 )

10. Beauty – A Virtuous Woman is a woman of worth and beauty. She has the inner beauty that only comes from Christ. She uses her creativity and sense of style to create beauty in her life and the lives of her loved ones. (Proverbs 31: 10Proverbs 31: 21 – 22, Proverbs 31: 24 -25, Isaiah 61: 10, 1 Timothy 2: 9, 1 Peter 3: 1 – 6)

A Creed

I read the following poem tonight and I decided I need to start living my creed no matter what else I do, I have to live my creed to God, my country and to mankind.

A Creed  I HOLD that when a person dies  His soul returns again to earth;  Arrayed in some new flesh-disguise  Another mother gives him birth.  With sturdier limbs and brighter brain  The old soul takes the road again.  Such is my own belief and trust;  This hand, this hand that holds the pen,  Has many a hundred times been dust  And turned, as dust, to dust again;  These eyes of mine have blinked and shown  In Thebes, in Troy, in Babylon.  All that I rightly think or do,  Or make, or spoil, or bless, or blast,  Is curse or blessing justly due  For sloth or effort in the past.  My life's a statement of the sum  Of vice indulged, or overcome.  I know that in my lives to be  My sorry heart will ache and burn,  And worship, unavailingly,  The woman whom I used to spurn,  And shake to see another have  The love I spurned, the love she gave.  And I shall know, in angry words,  In gibes, and mocks, and many a tear,  A carrion flock of homing-birds,  The gibes and scorns I uttered here.  The brave word that I failed to speak  Will brand me dastard on the cheek.  And as I wander on the roads  I shall be helped and healed and blessed;  Dear words shall cheer and be as goads  To urge to heights before unguessed.  My road shall be the road I made;  All that I gave shall be repaid.  So shall I fight, so shall I tread,  In this long war beneath the stars;  So shall a glory wreathe my head,  So shall I faint and show the scars,  Until this case, this clogging mould,  Be smithied all to kingly gold.  John Masefield  More poems from John Masefield